The Scent of Blood
by Asa-san
Summary: Vampire Russia. Need I say more? WARNING: Contains character death and violence and crappy commentary.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 _Arthur POV_

"What are you Mr. Kirkland?"

An odd question to be asked. And especially by someone I've never met before.

"Well, I'm obviously human. What else would I be?"

I hadn't even seen this man yet, but something told me I didn't want to. Nothing screams danger like being alone at night with someone who refuses to show themselves. But by his accent, I at least knew he was Russian.

He stepped out of a shadow cast by one of the trees. Just as expected, he was Russian. At least six-foot, with short silvery hair, a large nose, and stunning lavender eyes, he stood under the light.

"Well, there have been many reports of 'accidents' happening around town," he smiled at the word accidents, "and I just want to be sure I don't become the next victim." He gave a giggle, almost like a young child; cheerful, but with a hint of cruelty.

He must've been referring to the reports of people being found dead on the streets and in alleyways. Apparently, they'd been attacked during the night and drained of their blood. It had started about a week ago, but fourteen bodies had already been found. Some people thought it could be a psycho who finally snapped, but others believed it was the work of vampires. But everyone knows vampires are just a myth used to sell T-shirts

to Americans, and even if they were real, they wouldn't be in England.

"Do I honestly look like I'm out for blood?" I asked him tartly.

He stepped closer. Pretty soon he was right in front of me, and I noticed that I was wrong about his height. He was taller than me by more than a couple of inches, but almost by a complete foot! He slowly circled around me, almost as if he was sizing me up. Is that what he's doing? 'Is he planning to mug me?' To be safe, I tried to keep my eyes on him the entire time. He must've known about my suspicions, or he could read the fear in my eyes, because he giggled again. "Do not worry, da~?"

He stopped his circling and was now standing behind me, almost right over top of me. I closed my eyes to try to steady my nerves, but was snapped out of it after he sniffed my neck.

"Whoa! Step back!" I backed away from him and rubbed my neck, trying to wipe away the tingling feeling his breath left. Great, so he wants to mug AND rape me. I scowled at him. "Who are you anyway?"

He giggled again. "How foolish of me. My name is Ivan Braginsky. As you can tell, I'm not from around here, da~? I'm here on... business."

I refused to look away from him again. "Alright 'Ivan', so why did you stop me? And how the hell do you know my name?"

He moved quickly and was soon standing behind me again. "Because you fascinate me. And it does not matter how I learned your name. Now enough with the questions, da~?"

I turned back towards him. "Stop doing that! You got to say hello, so I need to be heading home. Now goodni.." As I turned to leave he put his hand over my mouth. "You don't have to go anywhere Mr. Kirkland. Not right now." He leaned over and smelled me again. What is his problem, aside from being a fucking pervert? I broke free and fell to the ground. "What did I just say? I have no need to stay here, nor do I want to, so piss off da?

His features darkened, and he grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and threw me against the wall. I fell to the ground again, this time hitting my head. My vision was blurred, but by the time it had recovered, he was once again holding me up, up against the wall by my neck. He stared at me, and I swore for a second that his eyes had actually flashed red, blood red. "Do not mock me, Mr. Kirkland," he growled. His accent had thickened and I could just barely make out what he was saying. "You do not seem to understand what I am capable of." Although he was pushing really hard, I was still able to speak a little. "Of course I do! Why else do you think I was trying to leave?" He giggled again, but, this time, it was more menacing than cheerful. "Apparently not. Otherwise, you would not be talking to me this way," he grinned.

"You see, those were no accidents. It was simply business." He tightened his grip on my neck as I tried to squirm free. "I had to, for survival. My name is Ivan Braginsky, greater vampire since 1732." I stared ahead in horror. So the rumors were true, and I was about to become the fifteenth victim.

"Don't look so afraid. I just want a taste," he smiled and licked his lips. I tried even harder to escape, but he just tightened his grip more, making it nearly impossible to breathe. "Although struggling is making your blood pump faster, I would prefer you stop. If you don't you could end up dead like the other, and who'd want to waste such sweet-smelling blood?"

His eyes flashed red again as he pinned my shoulder with his free hand, and moving his other hand from my neck to my head, holding it down to expose my neck. 'Oh god, I'm dead. I'm dead. I am going to die!' "Go to hell," I spat. He giggled again. "It's boring there. I'd rather stay here. Now hush up!" He sank his teeth into my neck like ice cold daggers. I yelped in pain, but it didn't help, and it was only a matter of seconds before his figure blurred and I was surrounded by darkness.

 _Ivan's POV_

'For putting up such a struggle, it doesn't take much to take you down.' I smiled as I watched my victim's eyes shut. He's a small man, so I didn't take too much.

After a few minutes, I finally let go and watched his body slump to the ground. I knew he wasn't dead, at least for now. He was simply passed out from the shock. 'Humans are so weak, and delicious.' This one, though, seemed much weaker than most men his age. He was smaller than most men, paler too. Ashen blonde hair and emerald green eyes also didn't make him appear any more intimidating. If it wasn't for his voice and those god-forsaken eyebrows, it would be easy to confuse him for a woman. 'Pathetic.'

He finally began to wake up, acting like he had just woken up from a night of drinking. Well, at least until he saw me. I didn't think it was possible, but he actually managed to become even paler than before. He looked away and, what I assume was dry-heaving, before laying his head back on the ground. I placed my hand on his shoulder. "This was fun, da~? We should do it again soon." I smiled and turned to leave. He mumbled something. "Excuse me, but what was that?" He turned his head and looked at me. He seemed like he was about to repeat himself, but couldn't. I smiled. 'That's what I thought.' "Da svidaniya Mr. Kirkland." And, aside from the now trembling Brit, there was no evidence I was ever there.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 _Arthur's POV_

I eventually found the strength to go home, but I was unable to sleep. My mind was filled with unanswered questions and fears. The night seemed to drag on forever, but thankfully, it came to an end. I was tired, but I knew I couldn't stay in my room all day. Besides, vampires don't come out during the daytime, and even then, a second attack would be highly unlikely, especially two nights in a row.

After enough pep talk, I decided it wouldn't hurt to leave the house for a little while. So, after grabbing my jacket, and slipping a small cross into my bag, just in case _he_ came back, I left my house for the day.

I went to my usual getaway area, in other words, a café about three blocks from my house. I took a seat in the back of the shop and dug through my bag for a book. Unfortunately, the only one I had brought with me was an American story called _Twilight_. My brother must have slipped it into my bag on accident when he came over last time. "Damn it, Alfred," I muttered under my breath. But I didn't feel like going back home, so I decided to put up with it.

 _Ivan's POV_

My sleep, that night, was the best I'd had in centuries. Who would've guessed that different types of blood had different effects on the body? When I awoke the next day, I was ready to continue my work, which was now almost complete. I had found the perfect victim _, my_ victim. All that was left to do was to make sure he stayed that way. But then it hit me. A smell, but though it was very faint, it was sweeter than wild flowers. It was very familiar, and I knew why. I had picked up his scent. An evil smile crossed my lips as I whispered, "Found you~."

I followed the scent to a local coffee shop. Decent looking, and very crowded, but it was only a matter of seconds before I spotted him in the back, reading. 'Oh god, he's reading _Twilight_. How cliché.' I almost felt bad for him, especially when it had appeared that he was actually enjoying reading it.

I took a seat at the counter and made it appear as though I was reading a newspaper. In reality, I was making sure I could see him, but he couldn't see me. Giving my victims a fake sense of security was always the best part. The newspaper was a good way of hiding my smiles whenever he would scream at the story, almost as if screaming would change the plot. 'What is he, a teenage girl? You cannot change the plot of a story with screams.'

He eventually looked up from the story, and looked almost right at me. The way he stared looked almost as though he had recognized me. He darted to the bathroom, and it seemed as though he would be in there for a long time, so I decided I was not going to wait any longer. It was almost sundown after all, and I didn't feel like wasting my hunting time with prey that refused to come out. So, I left the shop and hid in the alleyway beside it. He had to come out eventually.

 _Arthur's POV_

I thought I had been hallucinating, almost like PTSD. That couldn't have been Ivan at the counter, right? Vampires cannot come out during the daytime, so then who the hell was that? I peeked through the door back into the crowded café. The man appeared to have left, so I quickly grabbed my belongings and hurried home. It was sundown after all, and I didn't feel like pressing my luck.

A strange tingle failed to leave me while I was going back home. It was almost as though I was being watched. I got inside as quickly as possible and locked the door. Although it's said that vampires can't come inside without being invited, I didn't want to take the chance.

A moment later, I heard a knock on the door. Cautiously, I looked out the window. No one was there, so I assumed it was just some children playing a joke. To humor them, I went out and was just about to start yelling at them, until I saw the paper on my door _. This is a nice house that you have da~? I wouldn't mind coming back for a visit._

My blood felt like ice in my veins as I tightly clutched the note. 'How did he find out where I live?' Before I could go back inside, a gloved hand went over my mouth. It completely covered my mouth and nose, making breathing damned near impossible. The owner of the hand had a very strong grip. They leaned forward so that their head was just behind my ear. "Hello Mr. Kirkland~."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Author's notes: This is just a continuation of chapter 2, because chapter 2 was getting WAY TOO LONG! So, yeah, another vampire attack. Woo!

Arthur: Wait, again? Why do you hate me?

Me: I don't, Ivan does. He's the one who won't leave you alone

Ivan: Me? No, I like him, mostly his blood, but I still like him.

Arthur: Go away, both of you.

Me: Nah. How would the story go on if we disappeared?

Arthur: My life would go back to normal

Me: You're no fun

 _Ivan's POV_

It was almost too easy to capture him again, almost as though he actually wanted to be caught. Either that, or he was too stupid to understand that it was a trap. "Did you miss me," I asked. His body became stiff, and he closed his eyes. I love when they do that; they seem to think that by simply closing their eyes, they will make me disappear. But it is not that simple. Nothing has ever been that simple. But to see them try it anyway only makes the experience funnier... for me.

"I'll take that as a yes." I smiled as I licked his cheek. That got him to reopen his eyes and actually look at me. The only thing better than closed eyes are fearful eyes. His eyes reminded me of large gems that had been freshly polished, almost as though he was on the verge of tears. 'Good, I want to see him cry. Maybe it will even be as fun as yesterday.' I laughed at the thought, and he began to tremble. 'Let's make this interesting, now, shall we?' I uncovered his mouth and he began to gasp. 'Oh, maybe that's why he looked ready to cry. That just means I have to work harder.'

I was expecting him to run, but he seemed to think that lying on the ground and covering his neck was the better option. 'Well, work with what you get, I guess?' "Now, now, Mr. Kirkland, you should at least treat me to dinner first," I laughed. "Piss off!" he yelled, but his voice was muffled, because he was facing the ground. I took his wrist and pulled him up. "I said you should treat me to dinner first," I winked at him, which caused him to scowl. "Why would I do that again? You just attacked me yesterday, even though I told you to stop." 'What does he think we are? Preschoolers?'

"You didn't try to stop me while I was drinking."

"Hmm, you're right, but maybe that's because I was fucking unconscious!"

"Touché."

He finally started to try and pull his arm free, but I had my hand around it tightly. 'For such a small man, he loves to try and fight back. But trying to fight will not save him, or anyone else.' Watching him struggle made me smile again. Watching victims struggle was always the best part.

He reached into his bag and pulled out… wait, was he joking? A cross charm from an old necklace? What did he expect to do with that? I slowly reached over and plucked it from his hand, then threw it to the side. "What was the point of that? You thought a necklace could stop me, da~?" He looked dumbfounded, almost as though I had cheated death. "Do you really believe everything you read?" I laughed. "I cannot be hurt by that silly necklace Mr. Kirkland, because crucifixes have no effect on me. That is just a myth used to sell T-shirts to Americans, da~," I said as I pulled him closer and nibbled his neck. It wasn't enough to draw any blood, but that wasn't the point. He stiffened up, trying his best not to let my teeth sink in, but he did tremble slightly. He wasn't trembling out of fear. He was trembling, because he was crying. I smiled; I had finally forced this man to his breaking point.

I stopped biting for a second. "I cannot bite you here, because someone might see or hear you. We must go elsewhere, Mr. Kirkland." I started to drag him behind me, but he refused to move. "For the love of god, stop calling me Mr. Kirkland! My name is Arthur, not Mr. Kirkland," he yelled. I moved in front of him and covered his mouth. "Be quiet, da~? We do not want them to find you too soon," I smiled wickedly at him, "and I can call you whatever I want. Is that clear, Mr. Kirkland?" The fire that was in his eyes when he was yelling had diminished, and he reverted back to the fearful dog he was. He nodded, more tears threatening to spill over. "Good, now let's go." I started to drag him along, again until we reached a dark alleyway. 'A little predictable, but at least if I kill him, it will appear as if he was mugged, or better.' I laughed at the other idea of what it could've looked like. I turned and looked at him. "Now the real fun starts."

 _Arthur's POV_

'Why me? Why does he keep targeting me? I've done nothing to him, so why does he insist on tormenting me?' I couldn't stop shaking. Oh god, why couldn't I stop shaking? Eventually, my shaking got so bad that my legs could no longer support me, and I had to sit down. 'At least while I'm down here, I can try to collect myself. Besides, I doubt he would want to bend down just to bite me.' My trembling soon stopped, but there was no way I was standing up again, not while he was still around.

"Stand up Mr. Kirkland, and I may let you live to see tomorrow."

"Go choke on a rat!"

I failed to remember that he still hadn't let go of my wrist, which he was now crushing. "You know, it is not nice to call yourself a rat. It is not good for your self-esteem. Now stand up." His voice had lowered, and his eyes turned red. Again, I refused, and he tightened his grip on my wrist. "That was not a suggestion, Mr. Kirkland. Stand up or I'll rip out your throat!" I didn't care how much he threatened me, I was not standing up. "I'd happily accept death than to live every day like this!" With a hard yank, he had me back on my feet. "That can be arranged," he growled as he pinned me against the wall and bit me.

 _Ivan's POV_

That was enough! I was tired of him being so stubborn, so I didn't hold back like yesterday. I bit him as hard as I could. Today was different though; he didn't faint, so he was a lot louder than yesterday. I covered his mouth to quiet him down, so all that could be heard were muffled sobs. 'I'm glad he's crying. Maybe now he'll learn not to pick fights with me.'

I eventually let him go. He wasn't dead, but he was barely conscious. He fell with a thud, and he seemed to be struggling to even looking up at me. I couldn't help but laugh. His blood was bitter today, but the look of defeat on his face was worth it. "W-why didn't you kill me," he asked. His voice was weak and shaky. I kneeled down and lifted his head by his hair, "Because, you need to learn how to treat your master. Lesson one: Don't piss me off." I let go of his hair and let his head drop back to the ground. It hit with a sickening pop. If he wasn't already unconscious, he definitely was now. I laughed, pleased with my handiwork. And with that, I turned and left.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Author's notes: Sorry if you don't like the way Ivan is treating Arthur, but if it bothers you so much, you could always just stop reading. Just saying. Anyway, at least Ivan isn't trying to kill him, right?

Ivan: Don't be so sure *evil grin*

Me: Oh hush up! No you don't. You like having a slave

Ivan: *shrugs* I can always find another one, da~? *looks at me and his eyes flash red*

Me: *smacks Ivan over the back of the head* Don't even think about it. Anyway, *turns back to reader* hopefully you'll enjoy the rest of the story.

 _Arthur's POV_

I awoke in the alleyway with a very bad headache. I touched my neck and winced. Not only was the mark still there, but it was still sore and a little bit of blood stuck to my fingers. I was able to stand, eventually, and I returned home. The note he had stuck to my door was still crumpled at the doorway, so I picked it up and threw it away. I went to the bathroom and cleaned up my neck the best I could, and I saw what caused my headache. Last night, after he let go of me, I must've hit my head really hard, because I had a small gash just above my eyebrow. I cleaned that too and placed a wet washcloth on it to try and help with the pain, and then I heard a knock at the door. I went to the window and checked to see who it was.

'So, it _was_ him I saw yesterday at the café!' There was Ivan, standing under a black umbrella, waiting at my door. I didn't open the door, in fact, I locked it. "What do you want?" I asked through the door. "I was making sure you were still alive, da~? Can I come in?" 'Perfect! Not only is the door locked, but vampires can't come inside without being invited.' I grinned. "No, you cannot." "Too bad," he said as he broke down my door. "What the hell is your problem?!" I yelled. He collapsed his umbrella and walked in, leaning the door awkwardly on the doorframe. "My problem is that I have an unruly slave," he said, sitting down in a chair, "and no matter what I try, he keeps fighting back." I knew he was referring to me. "Don't call me your slave. You are NOT my master." He leaned back in the chair and put his feet on the table.

"I'm not? Then, how do you explain why the mark on your neck hasn't begun to heal yet?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because you keep biting the same fucking spot!"

"You really don't know anything about vampires, do you?" His eyes were closed and he spoke in a dreamy voice. "That mark will never heal, no matter how much time goes by. It is my mark, the mark of ownership. Only greater vampires can place the mark of ownership, and they can only place it if they have no other slaves. I've been looking for a slave for a while, but none of them were good enough. That's why you were the only one out of the fifteen that I didn't kill. I picked up your scent while in the park that night. There was something about it that was just so tempting. I knew you were the one I was looking for. I knew you were meant to become my food slave."

"Food slave?"

"It means I can use you as a food source for as long as I want. I'm not forced to kill you after feeding from you. You should be thankful I saved you from death, especially after what you did last night."

"Thankful? Why should I be thankful," I scoffed, "I told you I wanted to die, and that living this way was hell!"

"But that is not your choice, da~? You will die when I say you can." He got out of the chair and walked over to me. "You need to learn that as long as I'm alive, and you are alive, I own you. You no longer have free will, but rather, your free will is what I want you to do. Is that understood?"

I wanted to retaliate, but I couldn't think of what to say. I didn't want this. I didn't ask to become the servant of, literally, a bloodthirsty killer. But I also didn't want him to treat me like he treated my door, so I looked down and nodded.

"Good. You're not as stupid as you come off to be." He headed towards the door. "Oh, by the way, until the other vampires know that you're mine, I will have to live with you, but don't worry, it should only take about three days. That means no more going outside after the sun goes down, at least when I'm not around. I will be back in a few hours, so until then, try not to fall for any more tricks. And especially, do not answer the door. Is that understood?"

"That door isn't going to keep anything out, even if I refuse to answer it."

"Fine, I'll fix the door. But do not answer it when I'm not here, da?"

"Alright, mum."

He glared at me, not impressed by my sarcasm. He had it fixed in almost ten minutes, and then he was gone. Now was the time to plan my escape.

 _Ivan's POV_

I knew he was going to try something stupid, but I wasn't going to stop him. He needed to learn to listen to me, and I had a feeling whatever he was planning was going to be very entertaining.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Author's notes: This chapter is basically _Home Alone_ gone wrong. Oh Arthur, sometimes I wonder why you think the way you do.

Arthur: Piss off! I know this will work.

Me: You sure? You're lasts attempts at escape didn't end too well.

Arthur: I said piss off!

Ivan: So that's what you're planning. Yeah, it won't work.

Arthur: You know what? Fuck you two, I'm out.

Me: No, come back! We want to see you fail!

 _Arthur's POV_

Now that I knew he'd be coming back, I decided to get rid of this vampire for good, and life would, hopefully, go back to normal. Using my knowledge of vampires, I decided to set up a few traps. One of them had to work on him. It took all day, but I had just finished setting up the last one when he came back.

 _Ivan's POV_

I knocked on the door. "Mr. Kirkland, I have returned." When I didn't get a response, I went inside to look for him. 'Hopefully the idiot didn't answer the door.' At first, I went into the living room but was only greeted by a piece of garlic on every piece of furniture. 'Last time I checked, he wasn't Italian. Why does he need so much garlic?' And then, it hit me. He thought he could chase me away with these "vampire weaknesses". 'Well fine, I can play along with this.'

I left the living room, holding my nose and pretending to cough. I staggered into the kitchen, only to find that he clogged his sink and left the water running. 'The running water barrier trick? Really?' I turned off the water, stepped over the puddle, and headed upstairs. The bathroom was a little disappointing. All it had was a large mirror with a revolver that shot me when I opened the door. 'A silver bullet.' "That's for werewolves, dumbass!"

There was only one place left to check, his bedroom. I was again greeted with garlic, but this time it was powder that was thrown at my face. That time I was choking for real, but who wouldn't be? I turned on the light and went over to the bed. He was sleeping. I pulled off the covers, and got a wooden stake through my chest. He sat up and smiled at me. "Welcome home _, Master_ ," he mocked. I laid on the floor, watching my own blood pool on the floor. He had finally gotten me, and I was soon surrounded by darkness.

 _Arthur's POV_

I sat on the bed and watched as his eyes closed. 'I did it! I killed him! I'm free!' I was very excited, and flopped back on my bed and almost started cheering. I was so excited! In fact, I didn't notice him getting back up. "That was a good trick, da~?"

My heart skipped a beat as I stared at the ceiling. Slowly, I turned my head towards him. He had removed the stake and was playing with it. "That was fun. You actually thought you could kill me that easily?" He tossed the stake back to me. "B-but, you were bleeding. That's your blood," I said as I pointed to the pool of blood on the floor. "Da, but I don't need all of the blood in my body. I have you who will share your blood with me," he grinned. He came over and sat on the bed. "So, about returning the blood you took from me."

"Wait, you expect me to return the blood I took from you? What about the blood you took from me these last two days? Your blood is still on the floor, so drink that."

"Nyet, that blood is cold. I prefer blood that is a little more… fresh," he said as he eyed my neck. I quickly hid it with my hand. "Don't even think about it."

"Besides, you tried to kill me. And when a slave acts against his master, he needs to be punished, da~?" He pushed me back on the bed and sat over me. I tried to sit up, but he quickly held a knife to my throat. "Do you like? I bought it while I was out earlier. You see, I may not have any weaknesses, but you do. You humans die so easily, even from something as simple as a piece of metal." He pressed the knife harder on my throat. "So here's the deal. You stop fighting me, and I don't use this. That's easy enough, da~?" I couldn't move, or else the blade would've easily pierced my skin. He removed the knife, but didn't put it away. "Good, now enough with the games." Those were the last words I remember hearing before everything went black.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Author's notes: So why shouldn't Arthur answer the door while Ivan's away? Care to find out?

Arthur: To be honest, no, I don't.

Me: Oh hush, of course you do. *pats his back*

Arthur: No, I don't.

Ivan: Then listen to me for once and don't go to the door.

Arthur: NEVER! I do what I want!

Me and Ivan: *facepalm*

 _Arthur's POV_

My neck was killing me the next morning. At least this time when I woke up, I was actually in bed. Unfortunately, I had once again fallen asleep with my face in a small pool of my own blood. 'I don't know how much more of this I can take. If this keeps happening, I have a feeling I won't be waking up in the morning.' I went downstairsto find a note on the table.

 _Mr. Kirkland,_

 _I will be out for the day, again. Don't leave the house, or answer the door, and ESPECIALLY don't set up anymore traps. I can assure you they will not work. Fail to listen, and I will not fail to get you and that knife more acquainted. Just don't act like yourself for the day, please?_

"How many times is he going to tell me not to answer the door? I'm not a complete dunce," I growled as I crumpled up the note. At least I wasn't planning on doing anything important today. After throwing away the note, I went upstairs and took a shower to clean off the blood. It stung when I tried to clean the wound, but I knew it had to be done.

After drying off, I got my clothes on, carefully placed a bandage over the wound, and went to my room. "I can't stand having to see that mark every day," I said as I pulled an old scarf out of the closet. It was nothing fancy, just plain, white cotton, but it was enough to hide my neck. I probably looked like an idiot wearing a scarf in the house in the middle of summer, but there was no one around, so it was fine. And then someone knocked on the door.

'He told me not to answer the door. I told him I wouldn't answer the door. I won't answer the door.' I had to keep repeating that to myself as I went to the window. It was my neighbor, Felix. He had a longer Italian name, but everyone just called him Felix. We never really talked much, so I didn't know much about him. "What the hell," I muttered as I snuck downstairs to the door. "Hello," I asked from behind the door.

"Ciao, Arthur! Can I come in?"

I had to think about it for a minute before opening up the door. "Alright," I said as he walked through the door.

"Grazie. This is a nice house." He started rushing around, looking at everything in the house.

"So what did you need, Felix?"

"Oh yeah," he said as he pulled a note from his pocket, "someone left you a note, but they accidentally sent it to my house." He smiled widely as he passed me the note.

"Alright, thank you."

"No problem, now I need to hurry home before the pasta starts to burn! Arrivederci," he yelled as he ran back home.

As soon as he left, I quickly locked the door. 'Another letter? I bet it was a test Ivan had to see if I'd answer the door.' I opened the letter and read it.

 _Found you._

Was this someone's sick idea of a joke? I didn't throw it away like Ivan's notes. The writing was different, and I wanted to examine it further, or ask him when he came back. "I can just say it was slipped through the mail slot while I was in the shower." I took the note to my room, so that if someone else came to the door, I wouldn't be tempted to answer it.

There was someone sitting on my bed, facing away from me. "Who are you?" He slowly turned towards me. He had long, dirty-blonde hair and amethyst colored eyes behind large glasses. "Why does everybody ask me that," he whispered. "My name is Matthew. Matthew Williams." He smiled and reached out his hand to shake mine. 'He seems rather nice.' I shook his hand and smiled, "Nice to meet you Matthew, but what are you doing in my house?" His sweet and innocent smile melted into a menacing grin. "Do you really want to know?"

"Yes. I wou.."

I wasn't even able to finish my sentence before a sharp pain hit the back of my head and I fell to the ground. I remember seeing another person walk out from behind me. Matthew knelt in front in front of me as my vision dimmed. "Goodnight, Arthur."

 _Ivan's POV_

When I returned to Arthur's house, it was too quiet. "Mr. Kirkland, come out," I called. "You'd better not be trying to attack me again. I'm not afraid to use my knife on you." I went up to his bedroom, almost expecting another face full of garlic powder. When I entered the room, I noticed three things were wrong. The first was that he wasn't in his bed. The second was the small pipe lying on the floor. The third was the two notes and a white, cotton scarf lying next to the pipe. I walked over to the notes and picked them up. The one that was in worse condition only said " _Found you."_ That must've been meant for Arthur. But the second one was meant for me.

 _Holding out on us again, Ivan? You know where to meet us, unless…you know…we can keep him? Which would totally rock! Meet us there by midnight tomorrow, or else._

The symbol at the bottom of the note told me exactly who had sent the note. 'How did they find me?' A shiver ran up my spine as memories of them flashed through my mind. I thought I escaped from them years ago. Remembering the terrible things they had done to me was enough to bring tears to my eyes.

I fell to my knees, the note completely crumpled in one hand, my face in the other. 'I told him not to answer the door, didn't I?' I looked down at the scarf and the pipe. I let go of the note and picked up the scarf. It was soft, a little torn up, but still in good condition. I put it on, then picked up the pipe. "I guess there's just no running from the past."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Author's notes: Ivan's dark past? Ivan, would you care to explain?

Ivan: *shudders* No, not really.

Arthur: *really far away* Save the explanations for later. Just get me out of here!

Me: Party pooper.

 _Arthur's POV_

"Where am I?"

I didn't know where I was. All I knew was that I was not supposed to be there. The room I was being held in was made almost entirely out of cement with no windows, and the only source of light was from a small table lamp at the other side of the room. I was separated from that side by an iron gate. It almost seemed as though I was in a prison cell, and I was the only prisoner.

When my vision adjusted to the lack of light, I decided to walk around a little. Despite the small space, the cell was completely empty, so there was just enough room to move. I don't know how long I spent pacing around the cell, but I remember stopping when I heard a door creak open.

I looked in the direction of the sound to find a figure walking towards the cell. It wasn't until they were right next to the gate that I could see his face. He had long, golden hair, sky-blue eyes, and a little stubble on his chin. As soon as I saw him, I stiffened. Something told me that this man meant trouble.

"Bonjour, Monsieur Kirkland," he smiled.

'Oh god, he's French.'

"Where am I, and who are you?"

"The place is not important. As for my name, I am known as Francis Bonnefoy." He did a pose.

I groaned. "Alright, Francis. Might I ask why I am here?"

"You are 'ere because we are trying to catch us a little rat."

"How long do you plan on keeping me here?"

He waved away my question. "Enough with the questions," he unlocked the door and came into the cell, closing the door behind him, "I want to know more about you." "Matthew!" he yelled. Matthew hurried into the room and came next to the cell. "What is it Francis?"

"Please lock the gate. I wish to spend some time with the prisoner without 'im trying to escape." He tossed the key to Matthew, and the door was soon relocked. 'Damn! Now not only am I trapped in an unknown area, but now I'm trapped in an unknown area with a Frenchman who's acting a little too friendly.'

"So, Arthur, 'ow long 'ave you known Ivan?"

"We met maybe four days ago, but that depends on how long I've been here."

He nodded, "And that was the day 'e bit you. Is that correct?"

"Why do you care?"

He started to walk around me slowly, "No reason, I'm just curious." 'Not this again.'

"Look, whatever you're trying to accomplish by being in here with me, forget it. It's not going to happen."

He looked hurt. "I wasn't trying to do anything. 'ow could you accuse me of such a thing?"

"Ivan did the exact same thing the night we met. Believe me, I know what you're planning," I covered my neck with my hands, "and it's not happening."

"You know, I could always do something worse." He grinned a devilish grin as he came towards me.

"And what would that be," I scoffed.

He stopped just in front of my face and pushed me. I fell back and landed hard on the floor. He climbed over me and stared into my eyes. "I think you know what."

'Oh god, not THAT!'

"It's your choice, Arthur. Your neck, or…" he rubbed the side of my leg and smirked. 'They'd both be bad, but I think that would be worse than being bitten again.' Slowly, I uncovered my neck.

He patted my head. "Good boy." He took a long smell. "Once you get past the smell of vodka, your blood smells very sweet."

"Why would I smell like vodka?"

"Because Ivan left 'is mark on you. Each vampire leaves a distinct smell on their food slave to let other vampires know who the slave belongs to. Ivan's happens to smell like vodka."

"Wait. If I'm already his slave, you can't mark me, which means…" I remembered Ivan telling me that if he hadn't marked me, he would've had to kill me. Francis grinned and nodded.

"Didn't you tell 'im to kill you a few days ago?"

He was just about to sink his teeth in when the gate opened. It was Matthew.

"Get him ready, Francis. It's about to start."

 _Ivan's POV_

I went to the nearest airport and booked the next flight to the United States. The group always met there, on account that the leader refused to travel anywhere else. The flight left in fifteen minutes, and the trip would take about three more hours. 'That should be enough time to figure out the situation.' I patted the book bag that Arthur had kept by the door. After removing some of his belongings, it was just large enough to hide the pipe. I found my seat on the plane and tried to remember what I was going to be up against.

 _It was the year 1692. I was at my home in Russia, watching the blizzard outside the window. There was always something about watching the snow fall that was just so mesmerizing. Suddenly, there was a knock at my door. 'Who would be stupid enough to go outside during a Russian blizzard?' I answered the door and saw a small, strange looking man. He was about half my size, with short, black hair and brown, soulless eyes. 'He must be Asian.'_

" _Herro. Is this the home of Ivan Braginsky?"_

" _Yes, it is. Who wants to know?"_

 _He handed me a letter, telling me it was very important that I read it. He bowed, and then left._

 _I closed the door and looked at the letter. It had a black envelope and a red wax seal to keep it closed. The seal had a strange symbol; it almost looked like a snake with angel wings._

' _Someone got a little too creative.'_

 _I opened the letter to find a creamy white paper with what appeared to be chicken scratch. Upon further examination, those childish scribbles actually turned out to be words._

 _Hey Ivan,_

 _You don't know who we are, but we know what you are. That is why we would like to invite you to join our group. If you want to know more, meet us in Salem._

" _Salem," I muttered, "but that's all the way in America."_

 _The trip had taken about three weeks, and by the time I got there, I was very happy to be back on solid ground. I went to Salem, but then I realized…_

" _The note didn't say where in Salem to meet them."_

' _Damn! Probably should've thought this through before travelling halfway across the world.' I went to a nearby store and showed the owner the note, asking if they recognized the writing. He looked over the note, then back at me._

" _You are Ivan?"_

" _Last time I checked."_

 _He motioned for me to follow him behind the counter. He lifted up a hatch next to the cash register._

" _Just go down there. They're in the middle of a meeting, so you may want to knock before entering the room."_

 _I nodded and went down the stairs. It was a dark passageway, lit only by a few torches on the wall. Eventually the tunnel ended at a large wooden door. I didn't even have to be close to the door to hear the arguments going on behind it. I waited for the noise to die down a little before knocking. The noise behind the door disappeared, aside from the occasional shushes, and the door creaked open. It was the small man who had delivered the letter. He bowed._

" _So you must be Ivan." He motioned me through the door. It was a large room, almost like a conference room. The room was divided into two sides, but I didn't know how the people were assigned to which side. There was one person who wasn't one either side though, but, rather, he sat in the front of the room. He had straw-blonde hair, ocean blue eyes, and a pair of spectacles._

" _So you decided to join us?"_

' _God, what an annoying voice.' "I never said I wanted to join."_

" _Then why are you here? You already know why you were picked."_

" _I came to find out how you knew about me."_

 _He stood up and walked over to me. "It's not hard picking out your own kind," he grinned. "So are you in?"_

" _What am I supposed to do?"_

" _Whatever you would normally do, just with a bit more… mercenary work."_

" _Mercenary work?"_

" _We tell you specific targets, and you kill them. It's easy. Now are you in or not?" He stuck out his hand as if to seal a deal._

 _I thought about it for a moment before shaking his hand. "Da~, I'm in."_

 _That was the worst mistake I'd ever made._

 _It was fun at first, exciting and different. I usually had to kill people who had found out about us, or who simply got in the way. But on one of my missions, I ran into a boy, maybe about fifteen years old. His name was Ravias. He was a cute kid with short, sandy-blonde hair and deep violet eyes. After explaining that his parents had been murdered, although he didn't know by who, I "adopted" him and used him as a henchman. He would occasionally help me with missions, and in return, I ensured his safety. That is, until the group found out about him. Before him, I had never felt true joy being around others. Humans were just food, and vampires were just coworkers. My little Ravias never returned, and I knew why. They found him, and they killed him, just like they had done to his parents._

And now they were back. I wasn't just going there to save Arthur; I was going there for Ravias, and for me. I was going to set things right.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Author's notes: Aw Ivan, I'm sorry about Ravias.

Ivan: Let's drop it, da~?

Me: But it's just so sad.

Ivan: I said drop it.

Me: B-but *begins to cry*

Ivan: *eyes flash red* I said drop it!

Arthur: *still far away* Yes, we get that it's sad but can SOMEONE GET ME OUT OF HERE?!

Me: No, not until I get over Ivan's story.

Ivan: *eyes stay red and glares at me* I will KILL you if you don't drop it!

 _Ivan's POV_

The plane landed around ten o-clock, which gave me two hours to find the hideout. Unfortunately, Salem changed a lot in the last few centuries, and the shop where the passage was had been destroyed years before. Everything was so different; there were more buildings clumped together, the dusty trails had turned into roads cluttered with cars and bikes, and people filled the sidewalks.

'Finding the hideout is going to be harder than I thought.'

Midnight was approaching fast, and I had to hurry, but how was I supposed to find something that wasn't there? Suddenly, I picked up a scent. It was sweet, but very faint.

"Found you," was all I said before following it.

 _Arthur's POV_

I was grateful that Matthew had shown up and stopped Francis, but what had he meant by "getting him ready?" Getting who ready for what? He tossed Francis two long strips of fabric through the bars of the cell. 'Oh, that's what he meant.'

"Fuck me," I swore under my breath.

"I already gave you that option, but you declined." Francis laughed as he turned me over and tied up my hands. He used the other strip to cover my eyes, although I didn't understand why, considering I had already seen them. He then picked me up by the back of my shirt and forced me to stand. "Shall we go," he asked as he pushed me out of the cell.

We had been walking for what felt like ages before we finally stopped. I heard a large wooden door creak open, and then I was shoved in. I stumbled a little, but didn't fall. Someone came over and lead me farther into the room and uncovered my eyes. I looked around; I was in a large room that almost resembled a conference room. There were seven other people in there. I recognized Felix almost instantly, as he was the closest person sitting to my right. Then there was Matthew and Francis on the left side of the room. I didn't recognize any of the other people sitting at the sides of the room. The person sitting next to Felix almost looked like Felix's twin, but his hair was styled differently. On the left side, there was an uptight looking man with black hair and glasses, although I couldn't see his eyes. The person holding onto me was an Asian man with short, black hair and brown, soulless eyes. At the front of the room sat, what I assumed to be, their leader. 'Wait a minute. He looks familiar.' I stared in horror at the man in front of me.

"Alfred?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Author's notes: So Arthur, how does it feel to be betrayed by your own brother?

Arthur: Shut up! He didn't betray me!

Me: Then why'd he send people to capture you?

Arthur: Because he's Alfred! He does that a lot as a joke.

Me: Mhm. Just keep telling yourself that.

Arthur: If I wasn't tied up, I would kill you.

Me: Why does everyone want to kill me?!

Arthur: Excuse me? Who's the one tied up and at the mercy of vampires?

Me: Fair enough.

 _Arthur's POV_

"Hey Arthur, long time no see!" Alfred yelled as he got out of his chair and came over to me. "Bet you didn't know I was the Alpha vampire." He grinned.

"How are you the head vampire? We're brothers, so wouldn't I have known you were one?"

"Okay dude, first of all, it's Alpha vampire, not head vampire. Get it right! Second, you didn't find out that I was your brother until three years ago, and that was because our "parents" happened to hook up. You knew nothing about me, aside from I'm American. Besides, we blend in very well with humans, so it's very hard to pick us out."

"You didn't notice that I was one, even when I went into your home" Felix quickly blurted out. His brother smacked him in the back of the head and gestured for him to be quiet.

Alfred glared at Felix and continued. "Exactly, and by the condition of your neck," he tilted my head and looked at my wound, "you didn't realize Ivan was one either until it was too late."

I turned my head back. "Don't do that."

He grinned and tilted my head again. "And why can't I? You can't stop me, and no one here will stop me. As long as you're tied up, we can do whatever we want. We own you, Arthur."

"Not according to Ivan. Until one of us dies, he "owns" me."

He grabbed me by my jaw and held it so tight it felt like it was about to break. "Just you wait. That contract is being broken tonight, one way or another." He let me go and pushed me back, causing me to fall hard onto the floor. He checked his watch. "In fact, you'll find out in about five minutes." He snapped his fingers, "Kiku!" The Asian who was holding me earlier came forward.

"Hai."

"Get the rope. The fabric doesn't look strong enough."

Kiku nodded, then left the room. He was gone only for a moment before returning with the rope. Alfred quickly had me tied up again, but this time, he had tied my wrists behind my back to my ankles. He forced me to kneel in that position with my head down, like child's pose, for what felt like hours, even though it had only been a few minutes. I heard a small beeping sound come from Alfred as he turned off the alarm on his watch. He looked down at me and grinned.

"Time's up."

 _Ivan's POV_

The scent had led me to an old prison at the outskirts of town. When I went inside, it was very run down. It looked like no one had been there in years, but the scent said otherwise. I went into the cell rooms. The scent in there was still fairly strong, as if Arthur had only recently been moved. I looked around for a doorway or a secret hatch or anything that would lead underground. I finally found one next to the desk at the entrance. I opened it up and headed downstairs. And then I heard the scream.

"Arthur," I yelled as I ran down the passageway. I finally found the wooden door that lead to the meeting room. I forced it open and raced forward, hoping to separate Alfred from Arthur in time. Alfred let go and stared at me, a bloody smile on his face. "Hey, Ivan, glad you could make it. Arthur and I were just doing a little family bonding." He lifted Arthur by his hair. "Isn't that right?" Arthur was just barely holding onto consciousness, his neck was bleeding profusely, and he was ghostly pale. I didn't have much time before he would bleed out and die. Alfred dropped Arthur and watched as his head fell back to the floor, causing Arthur to wince slightly.

"So you finally decided to come back. You know, things just weren't the same after you left. By the way, love the new look. Where'd you get the scarf?"

"Save your breath. I'm only here for what's mine."

"You're no fun. But I don't see why you'd want him back, considering he'll be dead within the hour." Alfred grinned. "You always did pick the best slaves, even if they were weak. What was that first one you had? Was it Robert? That was a good one. Too bad you never tried him."

"Don't talk about him like that! And his name wasn't Robert, it was Ravias!"

"Close enough. I'm just saying you should've stopped treating him like your son and started using him for the only thing humans are good for. Blood."

That was it! I couldn't take it anymore. I tried to grab for Alfred, but he stepped away too fast. He snapped his fingers, "Feliciano! Lovino!" The Italian brothers jumped up and blocked me from reaching Alfred.

"Hey, Ivan, let us play too," Feliciano mocked as he pulled out a knife. Lovino also revealed a knife, although his was a little longer than his brother's. I dropped the book bag and drew out the pipe. It wouldn't kill them, but, hopefully, it would stun them long enough for me to get to Alfred. Lovino attacked first, attempting to stab me. I swung the pipe and landed a blow on the center of his forehead, causing him to crumple to the ground.

"FRATELLO," Feliciano yelled. His smile faded and turned into a look of rage. He charged forward and grabbed the knife from his brother, then continued towards me. He was fast, and none of my attacks were able to land. He rushed behind me and stabbed my back with his brother's knife, and used the other one to stab my chest.

I fell to the ground, coughing up blood. Feliciano stared at me, his mocking smile, once again, plastered on his face. He kneeled down and took the knife out of my chest. "Not so big now, are you Ivan?" 'Now's my chance.' I took the pipe and swung at his ankles, causing him to fall down. I then swung at his head, landing a hit on his temple. He wasn't unconscious like his brother, but at least he was dazed for a moment, just enough time to sit up and hit him again. This time he was knocked out.

I stood up with a little difficulty and looked at the wound in my chest. It's deep, but should only take about a month to heal. I wiped away the blood at my mouth and laughed. "Is that the best you've got?"

Alfred growled and snapped his fingers again. "Francis!"

Francis drew his sword and leapt over the tables. He laughed, "So you finally need my 'elp?" He turned to me and smirked. "Let's get this over with." He charged and tackled me, pressing the sword against my throat. "Those stupid Italians forgot 'ow to kill a vampire, 'ow pathetic. Now, shall we proceed," he smiled as he pressed the sword closer to my neck. I put my hands up to try and push him off, or at least keep him from cutting my neck. 'If he cuts too deep, I'll be dead for sure.' He laughed like a maniac as he continued to add pressure. It was getting to the point that I was having difficulty keeping him back. I mustered up enough strength to push him off for a minute, just enough time to grab my pipe and hit him on the head. He had a small stream of blood running from where I had hit him. I really didn't want to have to fight him again when he came to, so I grabbed his sword and stabbed it through his neck. It pierced with ease, and Francis stopped breathing after gurgling through the stream of blood. I tossed the sword to the side and stared at Francis's lifeless body.

"Papa!" Matthew rushed over to Francis's bloody corpse and shook him. "Get up! Please get up!" he looked up at me. "You killed him!" He held the corpse's hand and cried. "It's not too hard for you to join him, da~," I told him.

"Do you really think I'm that stupid? You think I'd just let you kill me?" He stood up and walked behind Alfred, right next to Arthur. He kneeled down, drew a knife from his pocket, and slit Arthur's throat. "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth," he smiled as he licked the blood from his knife. I shrugged, "I wasn't here for him anyway," I picked up my pipe, "now are you going to fight me or what?" I couldn't give him the satisfaction of an easy victory, so I made it seem as though killing Arthur meant nothing. "B-but you said," he stared, shocked at my response. He paused before finishing, "Why should I fight? I already know how it'll end…" He looked at Francis, then back at me, as if to finish the sentence. He went back over to Francis and kneeled down, as if he would suddenly come back to life.

I looked back at Alfred. "We both know Rodreich isn't going to fight, and Matthew just had a nervous breakdown. You'll let me fight you now, da~?" Alfred smiled, "Not quite. Kiku!" He snapped his fingers.

Kiku lunged forward with his katana drawn. He was practically a ninja, with the speed of Feliciano and the skills of Francis. Unlike either, Kiku wasn't attacking me out of rage, but was simply following orders. Even with his amazing skills, it was obvious that he wasn't fighting full heartedly. If anything, he was just being a nuisance, and it was about time to get rid of this nuisance. I swung blindly, hoping that I could somehow hit him. I wasn't able to knock him out, but I eventually managed to knock the sword out of his hand. He grabbed his sword and was about to attack again, but I lowered my hand, trying to motion that the fight wasn't worth it. He lowered his sword and left the room.

"A rather unfulfilling fight. Now we can fight, da~?"

Alfred sighed, "Alright. Wasn't as cool as I thought it'd be, but I guess it's my turn." He drew a pistol in his right hand and a knife. "Let's end this." It was my turn to lunge forward, and it was also my turn to be stopped in the middle of my attack to a shot to the head, literally. I staggered back, hand over the bullet hole in my head. I leaned on one of the tables to try and stop my head from spinning. 'I can't die like this, not yet!' I threw my pipe at Alfred and hit him in the gut. While he was busy holding his gut and cussing, I raced over to him and knocked him down, then pinned him down. I pulled my knife from my pocket. He stared at me with a horrified look. "W-what are you doing?" His voice was shaking like a scared child. I glared at him and my eyes turned red. "Something I should've done years ago," I growled as I slit his throat.

I got off of Alfred and went over to Arthur. Even if there was a way to bring him back as a vampire, he still wouldn't be able to survive; Matthew had already slit his throat. I placed his head on my lap and stared at his lifeless face. Something about the look on his face was almost peaceful, and it reminded me vaguely of Ravias. I smiled, holding back the few tears that threatened to fall. "You never really were a good slave, always disobeying orders. I never said you could die."


End file.
